I'd have pulled the handbrake on and got out before it got to this....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQqLfGMDidI&NR=1

John B

06-11-2008, 05:36 AM

What a dork.

The Bigfella

06-11-2008, 06:03 AM

I hope his insurance company got to see it.

Rational Root

06-11-2008, 06:44 AM

There is a contemporary Irish term - "Gob****e" - which covers this driver.

Often it refers to the fact that they are talking at great length about something they know nothing about i.e. talking ****e.

But it also can be used to refer to their actions or general nature. It does not as you might imagine infer a huge amount of intelligence. In fact gross stupidity is often involved. It is not a compliment.

If might be used in for example in the following context:

"Lucky the Gob****e hit a fence, not a minivan full of children coming the other direction."

D

The Bigfella

06-11-2008, 07:07 AM

Yep. I've got a pet hate of those sort of turkeys. I reckon unbroken centrelines should be highly, highly abrasive. Cross it say three times and buy a new tyre type abrasive.

TimH

06-11-2008, 07:40 AM

dumbass

Paul Pless

06-11-2008, 08:04 AM

There is a contemporary Irish term - "Gob****e" - which covers this driver. There is a contemporary German term - "schadenfreude" - which covers those drivers that he had passed aggressively before being collected by the armco.:D

I do think John B said it best though... Dork!

edited to add: seeing as how the driver is german though maybe dorkmeister would be more fitting...

Chris Ostlind

06-11-2008, 09:42 AM

Schadenfreude is appropriate here, as is the realization that the average country road is the great equalizer of all things which roll.

Even if you know the route well, there are always these wonderful surprises to greet you along the way. Broken-down cars, loose gravel or sand in the apex of the corner, previously unseen potholes, a nice spot of some miscellaneous lubricant... the whole pantheon of stuff to put you in the weeds.

By the way, great clip, Bigfella. Nice to see that cash still can't keep one off the barrier when driven by testosterone.

Popeye

06-11-2008, 11:30 AM

..good tires ... but not great tires

Captain Blight

06-11-2008, 06:26 PM

If he'd got off the brakes he might have been able to power out of it. Either way, too much a dumbass to be driving a car like that. maybe one of those little Tata air-powered vans might be more his style.

crawdaddyjim50

06-11-2008, 10:25 PM

Wow, we should ban all personal cars over 50 horsepower......as it is obvious licencing is not keeping the criminals off the roads.

TimH

06-11-2008, 10:36 PM

and to be filming it. Who was he planning on showing the film to?

Nanoose

06-11-2008, 10:41 PM

Wow, we should ban all personal cars over 50 horsepower......as it is obvious licencing is not keeping the criminals off the roads.

Or, perhaps more accurately, we should ban male drivers...:rolleyes:..;)

Nanoose

06-11-2008, 10:42 PM

and to be filming it. Who was he planning on showing the film to?

...and then he posted it on youtube?

See post above...:rolleyes:

The Bigfella

06-11-2008, 10:49 PM

I've got no problems with powerful cars, and I drive one as a daily driver, but as that guy's attitude (overtaking over unbroken lines - and definitely without sufficient room) and his obvious lack of skills, as demonstrated by his loss of control a couple of times before he hit the Armco show - there's definitely room for a skills-based licence.

The sad thing is, this guy lives in Germany. He can choof off to Nordschlief (sp?) and hammer that thing around the Nurburgring any time he wants. I've done track days for the last couple of years and there is no doubt that it hones your skills.

TimH

06-11-2008, 10:54 PM

Or, perhaps more accurately, we should ban male drivers...:rolleyes:..;)

I used to do crazy stuff when I was around 20 or so. But nothing like that.

The Bigfella

06-11-2008, 11:05 PM

I used to do crazy stuff when I was around 20 or so. But nothing like that.

I grew up on motorbikes. Buried a lot of my mates.

crawdaddyjim50

06-11-2008, 11:22 PM

Or, perhaps more accurately, we should ban male drivers...:rolleyes:..;)

Unfortunately around here it is just as likely to be a female driving recklessly as a male. My wife deals with law enforcement on a daily basis and she is amazed at the lack of sense the young people show on the road.

Vince Brennan

06-11-2008, 11:57 PM

Man's a bloody imbecile.

John B

06-12-2008, 12:02 AM

Man's a bloody imbecile.
incompetent imbecile.:D

Michael Beckman

06-12-2008, 04:46 AM

I used to do crazy stuff when I was around 20 or so. But nothing like that.

I rarely even speed. Its not worth the trouble..

I find that in almost all cases, when someone passes me I catch up with them in a few minutes without speeding anyway.

Popeye

06-12-2008, 07:13 AM

I find that in almost all cases, when someone passes me I catch up with them in a few minutes without speeding anyway.
pretty much every morning people buck and weave in and out of traffic to go flying past me , then they whip down the ramp and burn thru the stop sign ..

about 15 seconds later, i roll up next to them at the red light and have a sip of coffee :)

Captain Blight

06-12-2008, 07:35 AM

..good tires ... but not great tires

W1nn3r

Lew Barrett

06-12-2008, 08:37 AM

Yep. I've got a pet hate of those sort of turkeys. I reckon unbroken centrelines should be highly, highly abrasive. Cross it say three times and buy a new tyre type abrasive.

Here's the thing. Idiot broke the cardinal rule. Stay in your lane. Once you have lost lane discipline, the game's over. It does take a motorcycle rider to really feel the anger about that one. And as you said Ian, it's not like the car didn't warn him.

Any idea what kind of tires it takes to keep two and a half tons of Mercedes on the road at .9G?

The Bigfella

06-12-2008, 08:40 AM

I've been in a couple of E55s over the years, but didn't check the tyres. I'm sure they come with something sticky.... I wouldn't blame the tyres for that one, that ding is purely down to the nut holding the steering wheel.

Popeye

06-12-2008, 08:51 AM

Any idea what kind of tires it takes to keep two and a half tons of Mercedes on the road at .9G?

something stickier than those roller skates bozo has

pair of Yokohama advan

Lew Barrett

06-12-2008, 12:16 PM

I was be facetious about the tires. When I said "Do you have any idea what kind of tires it takes," I meant that as pause for thought. The guy had gumballs on there, certainly. Nobody with a car like that has bald Michelin Xs, even an idiot.

They were certainly of a quality to match the car. A good tire will give plenty of warning, and they did. You could see the car understeering, and hear the squealing in previous turns. Let me say, as the owner of an E39 540/6 that rubber pealing off the front tires is not what you want to hear in fast driving.
That car is going to understeer at the limit if the guy doesn't keep his boot in it because there's a ton of weight up there. Drifting an E55AMG on public roads is not for the squeamish, or the prudent.

Popeye

06-12-2008, 12:25 PM

http://targanewfoundland.com/downloads/desktop002.jpgseriously bad late trail braking and a really poor line on turn 4

tires or no , he's just not very good at it :) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WJdC28j9Vo)

CharlieCobra

06-12-2008, 01:00 PM

Too hot into the corner for a heavy car like that Benz, way too hot. Lousy technique as well.

brad9798

06-12-2008, 02:49 PM

A 30-minute racing lesson would have made all the difference ...

Should've been on the gas too ... not JUST the brakes!

What a riot!

Chris Ostlind

06-12-2008, 03:08 PM

... Drifting an E55AMG on public roads is not for the squeamish, or the prudent.

Aside from the visual evidence that I don't think he was drifting anything, unless it was his mind, I go back to the previous comment, "... as is the realization that the average country road is the great equalizer of all things which roll."

I drove a prepped Mini Cooper in Euro rallies and that comment is one to live by, no matter how quick, how savvy, or how wonderfully prepared one's vehicle might be. There will always be a corner condition, a circumstance, or an incident well outside one's control which will make one look like a complete novice at some point in the run.

How you get out of it and how quickly you can do so, is the telltale of one's skill sets.

This one looks to be a circumstance of concentration failure, more than anything.

The Bigfella

06-12-2008, 06:35 PM

Drifting an E55AMG on public roads is not for the squeamish, or the prudent.

I've been known to drift the M5 - but not with that sort of traffic around.

Drifting actually destroyed the last set of rear tyres on my car - took inch plus chunks out of the tread on the inside of the tyres. Whilst its fun, it isn't fast - I think the laps where I was drifting were a second or two slower than my fast laps.

This one looks to be a circumstance of concentration failure, more than anything.

I think its deeper than that Chris. I just don't think he had any idea of how to drive quickly or of what the limits of his car are. I've tried to impress the limit issue on my eldest son, who drives a bit like I did when I was young. I had the opportunity to follow him through a similar road to the one in the video a while back - he was in the 535 and a mate was driving my M5 (first time I'd been in a car with the mate - but I had been around a race track in very close company with him - 10' apart at 170kph).

We both said the same thing about my son - he didn't have a "Plan B" the way he was driving. I got the friend to have a chat to my son - and I've followed it up a few times since.

John B

06-12-2008, 11:59 PM

You guys are over analysing it I do believe.
I do feel a bit bad for calling that nong a Dork though ,so I'm downgrading the pejorative to pillock, class A.

Lew Barrett

06-13-2008, 12:01 AM

I didn't suggest he was drifting. He understeered into the Armco; in over his head. Now, drifting a big Merc on the public roads remains a fools errand. As for recovery and a recognition that the roads hold surprises, as Ian said before me; I am motorcycle rider since 1965. Not Harleys. Nuf said.

The Bigfella

06-13-2008, 12:41 AM

Now, drifting a big Merc on the public roads remains a fools errand.

Other than saying that there's a time and place for everything, I'm taking the fifth.

Well, OK - lets use the difference between the E34 535 and the M5 as an example. Doing it in the 535 would be a bit of a lottery. The M5 has better shock absorbers, 25% stiffer springs and anti-roll bars, lighter wheels, better and lower profile tyres, etc. A world of difference when it comes to handling.

Both BMs though are more suited to it than the big Mercs I have and have had - 500SEC, 560SEC and 500SE. An AMG though, whilst not as tight as the M5 - yeah, I'd give it a go.

Lew Barrett

06-13-2008, 12:55 AM

My 540/6 is you know, the M5 suspension with the 300 HP motor, not a bad way to go but nowhere near as brutal as either the AMG or an M5. You have to turn off the ASC if you want to be silly with it of course. No BMW would plow off the road like that AMG thing did without giving you a bunch more feedback. But if added 200 HP to my car, well maybe. My car is already too fast and too heavy to want to play like that on the public roads, but I agree, way more capable than most any road going Mercedes. I like to hang the tail out in slow turns sometimes, steer it around with the throttle, but honestly, driven within its limits it is already going very fast.

The guy was still way over his head.

WX

06-13-2008, 01:08 AM

I hope the repairs were really really expensive. I hate bastards like that.

The Bigfella

06-13-2008, 01:12 AM

I like to hang the tail out in slow turns sometimes, steer it around with the throttle,

Lew! I'm shocked. You like drifting! (so do I)

Popeye

06-13-2008, 06:37 AM

there's a road rally takes place in quebec , not sure of the name , they run on snow and ice thru narrow twisty roads ..heel and toe driving , it's all brake and throttle

you want to see drifting (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0JhvGo3I50)?

Dan McCosh

06-13-2008, 07:02 AM

Best question: Why film it and put it on the internet?

Popeye

06-13-2008, 07:06 AM

ibid , post #2

JimJ

06-13-2008, 08:58 AM

that ding is purely down to the nut holding the steering wheel.

Most "accidents" can be put down to the "nut holding the wheel"

Tom Hunter

06-13-2008, 09:04 AM

Posted from Slovakia, and the driver is not speaking German.

Plus, he drives like an Eastern European :D

An out of control German would have gone through the barrier, not just bounced off.

Popeye

06-13-2008, 09:18 AM

he should cancel his subscription to car and dufus

Lew Barrett

06-13-2008, 09:53 AM

Drifting!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmkffAx62ZE

(and consequences....the last frames are the best)

added: I wish I could claim this work as my own; it's strictly pirated, and I've used it before.

The Bigfella

06-13-2008, 08:39 PM

Thanks Lew - that brings back some memories. Unfortunately, the MotoGP bikes have now got traction control and I think they have lost something - although they still move around a bit.

I used to photograph bike racing 30+ years ago - back when as a photographer you could stand where you wanted to, even run across the track during a race. I remember covering the 6 Hour Race at Amaroo Park, and standing at the top of the hill - on the outside of the corner. The bikes would appear at 120 mph, heading left into the blind corner that became the loop. It was just amazing through a telephoto - nothing one second then full frame bike heading straight at you .... I stopped using that spot when a bike went straight ahead over the spot I used to stand.